Posts by WVSORO
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Use the funds from partition suits to plug orphaned oil and gas wells
Document WVSORO December 2, 2016
The purpose of this bill is to help solve the problem of orphaned, unplugged oil and gas wells. These often leaky wells exist because oil and gas well drillers that have gone out of business, and because the drillers' bonding requirement is not high enough for there to be enough money to plug the wells they left behind. More
Issues: Legislation, Orphaned wells
Document WVSORO December 2, 2016
The purpose of this bill is to help solve the problem of orphaned, unplugged oil and gas wells. These often leaky wells exist because oil and gas well drillers that have gone out of business, and because the drillers' bonding requirement is not high enough for there to be enough money to plug the wells they left behind. More
Issues: Legislation, Orphaned wells
What the opponents are saying – and the surface owners’ response
Document WVSORO November 23, 2016
Below we will respond to the legitimate concerns raised by earlier versions of our bill, and the amendments we made to this year's bill in order to solve the problems and help other interested parties where it is possible. More
Issues: Land re-union, Legislation, Tax sales
Document WVSORO November 23, 2016
Below we will respond to the legitimate concerns raised by earlier versions of our bill, and the amendments we made to this year's bill in order to solve the problems and help other interested parties where it is possible. More
Issues: Land re-union, Legislation, Tax sales
15-0919 Mountain Valley Pipeline Court Opinion, Justice Davis
Document WVSORO November 15, 2016
Issues: Eminent domain, Pipelines
Document WVSORO November 15, 2016
Issues: Eminent domain, Pipelines
Drillers can NOT pool a mineral owner’s lease without authorization!
Leasing / Amendment / Royalties Advice WVSORO November 8, 2016
UPDATE: WE WERE RIGHT! There is no "implied right to pool" in a lease.
If a driller tries to talk you into a lease amendment (some of our members also owns minerals) by saying this, you really need to educate yourself on this web page. More
Issues: Horizontal wells, Leasing, Pooling
Leasing / Amendment / Royalties Advice WVSORO November 8, 2016
UPDATE: WE WERE RIGHT! There is no "implied right to pool" in a lease.
If a driller tries to talk you into a lease amendment (some of our members also owns minerals) by saying this, you really need to educate yourself on this web page. More
Issues: Horizontal wells, Leasing, Pooling
Eleven reasons why a judge was wrong to imply a lease covenant to pool
Leasing / Amendment / Royalties Advice WVSORO November 8, 2016
Here Are the Eleven Reasons That The Tyler County Circuit Court Judge's Ruling Is Wrong, And Why No Other Circuit Court Judge nor the Supreme Court Should Agree With the Ruling. More
Issues: Horizontal wells, Leasing, Pooling
Leasing / Amendment / Royalties Advice WVSORO November 8, 2016
Here Are the Eleven Reasons That The Tyler County Circuit Court Judge's Ruling Is Wrong, And Why No Other Circuit Court Judge nor the Supreme Court Should Agree With the Ruling. More
Issues: Horizontal wells, Leasing, Pooling
Enacting local city or county ordinances
Enacting Local City or County Ordinances - Advice WVSORO August 14, 2016
Enactment of city or county ordinances or land use regulations is very tricky legally in order to make them stick. And each situation is different. More
Issues: Land use
Enacting Local City or County Ordinances - Advice WVSORO August 14, 2016
Enactment of city or county ordinances or land use regulations is very tricky legally in order to make them stick. And each situation is different. More
Issues: Land use
Dave McMahon: West Virgina must get it right with gas
Blog, News WVSORO July 8, 2016
I write in response to “Conservation makes for good business,” an op-ed column by a top official of Antero, a natural gas company, published May 28. More
Issues: DEP, Horizontal wells, Marcellus shale, Oil and Gas
Blog, News WVSORO July 8, 2016
I write in response to “Conservation makes for good business,” an op-ed column by a top official of Antero, a natural gas company, published May 28. More
Issues: DEP, Horizontal wells, Marcellus shale, Oil and Gas
What Land/Surface Owners Should Know When a Landman Shows Up And Wants an Easement/Right of Way To Put a Pipeline Across Your Land
Pipeline Advice WVSORO May 31, 2016
By 2013 we found out that Marcellus Shale pipelines are worth way MORE than that. If you are only being offered $1 per inch per foot, you are getting underpaid. More
Issues: Pipelines
Pipeline Advice WVSORO May 31, 2016
By 2013 we found out that Marcellus Shale pipelines are worth way MORE than that. If you are only being offered $1 per inch per foot, you are getting underpaid. More
Issues: Pipelines
They are drilling or going to drill a well on my land. I want to have it re-seeded with vegetation I want, not the fescue etc. that is in the State’s soil erosion and sediment control manual. What can I do?
WV Surface Owners' Guide Update WVSORO April 28, 2016
If you want re-vegetation with seeds other than that at page 32 of the State's Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Field Manual, then work on your driller before,during or after the comment period to use seed mixtures you get from your local soil conservation district More
Issues: Land use, Legislation, Oil and Gas
WV Surface Owners' Guide Update WVSORO April 28, 2016
If you want re-vegetation with seeds other than that at page 32 of the State's Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Field Manual, then work on your driller before,during or after the comment period to use seed mixtures you get from your local soil conservation district More
Issues: Land use, Legislation, Oil and Gas
If you own the coal you might be able to block or at least move a well site
WV Surface Owners' Guide Update WVSORO March 15, 2016
This strategy will probably be used mostly by people who own the surface and the minerals, but whose land is subject to an old (or new) oil and gas lease signed by the current surface owners or their predecessors, and that lease allows the drilling of gas wells on the property. More
Issues: Leasing, Oil and Gas
WV Surface Owners' Guide Update WVSORO March 15, 2016
This strategy will probably be used mostly by people who own the surface and the minerals, but whose land is subject to an old (or new) oil and gas lease signed by the current surface owners or their predecessors, and that lease allows the drilling of gas wells on the property. More
Issues: Leasing, Oil and Gas
Anti-Nuisance Suit Bill Dead; Solid Waste Bill Amended
Updates and Alerts WVSORO March 12, 2016
Today is the last day of the 2016 legislative session and it is now safe to say that SB 508, the anti-nuisance suit bill, is officially dead. More
Issues: Drilling waste, Legislation, Nuisance suits
Updates and Alerts WVSORO March 12, 2016
Today is the last day of the 2016 legislative session and it is now safe to say that SB 508, the anti-nuisance suit bill, is officially dead. More
Issues: Drilling waste, Legislation, Nuisance suits
Fate of Anti-Nuisance Suit Bill Uncertain; Drilling Waste Bill Advances
Updates and Alerts WVSORO March 6, 2016
Thanks to everyone who has responded to our calls for action -- your calls and emails to legislators can and do make a difference. As we head into the final week of the legislative session, we're relieved that several bills to benefit the oil and gas industry have died. More
Issues: Drilling waste, Legislation, Nuisance suits
Updates and Alerts WVSORO March 6, 2016
Thanks to everyone who has responded to our calls for action -- your calls and emails to legislators can and do make a difference. As we head into the final week of the legislative session, we're relieved that several bills to benefit the oil and gas industry have died. More
Issues: Drilling waste, Legislation, Nuisance suits
Some Good News
Updates and Alerts WVSORO February 28, 2016
Earlier today, SB 596, the pipeline survey access (or "right to trespass") bill was soundly defeated on the Senate floor, with only 11 Senators voting in favor and 23 opposed. More
Issues: Legislation, Nuisance suits, Pollution
Updates and Alerts WVSORO February 28, 2016
Earlier today, SB 596, the pipeline survey access (or "right to trespass") bill was soundly defeated on the Senate floor, with only 11 Senators voting in favor and 23 opposed. More
Issues: Legislation, Nuisance suits, Pollution
Legislature Adds Insult to Injury with Bills to Aid Drillers
Updates and Alerts WVSORO February 21, 2016
It was bad enough that the Legislature and Governor Tomblin included few protections for surface owners in the Horizontal Well Act when the state finally updated antiquated drilling laws in 2011. Instead, the Legislature included an arbitrary setback of 625 feet from the center of the pad in the Act. More
Issues: Legislation, Nuisance suits, Pooling
Updates and Alerts WVSORO February 21, 2016
It was bad enough that the Legislature and Governor Tomblin included few protections for surface owners in the Horizontal Well Act when the state finally updated antiquated drilling laws in 2011. Instead, the Legislature included an arbitrary setback of 625 feet from the center of the pad in the Act. More
Issues: Legislation, Nuisance suits, Pooling
House Bill 4550
Document WVSORO February 16, 2016
BY DELEGATE IRELAND. [Introduced February 16, 2016; Referred to the Committee on Energy then Finance.] More
Issues: Legislation, Orphaned wells, Reclamation fund
Document WVSORO February 16, 2016
BY DELEGATE IRELAND. [Introduced February 16, 2016; Referred to the Committee on Energy then Finance.] More
Issues: Legislation, Orphaned wells, Reclamation fund